


Harlan's Run

by jury_rigged



Series: Tales from the West-Coast Wastes [1]
Category: Fallout - Fandom
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-10-08
Updated: 2015-10-08
Packaged: 2018-04-25 10:16:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,190
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4956451
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jury_rigged/pseuds/jury_rigged
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A Vault Dweller, a mercenary, and a dog venture into an old Vault. Only one of them leaves, and has changed the Wasteland forever.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Drawing Straws

**Author's Note:**

> I finally started posting to AO3, how lovely! Now there's an easier way to browse the shitshow that is my fics. I'm still going to post to Tumblr, but it's always nice to have it on AO3 too. 
> 
> This is my first attempt at an actual, concrete fanfiction of sorts and it follows the adventures of my Vault Dweller through the events of the first Fallout game. I hope you like it!
> 
> Also thanks to my friends for encouraging me to start posting what I write; I'm not sure I'd have had the courage to post any of this without y'all.

"Will all Vault Dwellers in the A.C.E. Program please report to the Overseer's Office? Repeat: All Vault residents in the A.C.E. Program, please report to the Overseer's Office.“

The intercom radio rang clear through both the Vault and Harlan Oppenheimer's Pip-Boy 2000. He sighed and rubbed his eyes. Harlan _really_ wished that Overseer Jacoren wouldn't use the loudspeakers if he was also going to use the frequency that was broadcasted on all the residents' Pip-Boys. He also wished the Overseer wouldn't make up useless programs that included any and all healthy adults between the ages of about 18 and 30 living in the Vault. He wasn't even sure what half the acronyms meant these days, and was convinced that Jacoren had a dart board in his office with all the letters of the alphabet taped to it, just in case he needed the another letter just to make it a pronouncable word. He looked down at his desk, shuffling his papers into place before getting up and stretching. He pocketed his Pip-Boy and left the room, making his way down the hall to the office of the Overseer.

Harlan was stopped, however, by a man on his way to the office. 

"Well hey there, Oppenheimer! Off to see the Overseer, I reckon?“ 

He had to stop himself from groaning involuntarily at the mere sound of his voice. This man was Theodore Hopkins, the most insufferable man Harlan thought he had ever met. He occasionally dropped in on the meetings of the Vault Dwellers for Topside Exploration, only to criticise every goddamn point they made in discussions. While other views were welcomed with an open mind, there came to a point where Harlan thought about banning him from the meetings, or perhaps relocating them. It seemed as though this man had made it his duty in life to simply annoy Harlan to no end. He wondered now and then if the Overseer had sent him specifically to monitor the meetings in addition to monitoring Harlan himself.

"Good day, Theo. Yes, I am. All the A.C.E. Participants have, after all, been summoned... as I recall, you're in the program too.“ _Strangely- I swear, you don't have a healthy bone in your body,_ Harlan thought to himself. 

"Yes, yes. Do you know what he's summoning us all for?“ Theo walked by his side as they entered the elevator together.

Harlan let his irritation get the better of him and sighed, rubbing his face. "No, no I do not. You know as well as I do that Overseer Jacoren is recalcitrant about his motives.“

Theo nodded, looking at him occasionally as the elevator descended. Harlan gritted his teeth and hoped that perhaps the elevator cable would snap, sending them both plummeting, and that Harlan would get out alive but that Theo would tragically be lost in the accident. _Tragically. Yes._ However, due to sturdy Vault construction, this did not happen, and the two of them exited the elevator unharmed and made their way to the Overseer's Office together. 

There was a large group gathered around the Overseer's console, which Harlan and Theo joined, Harlan seeking out someone he knew who wasn't Theo. He smiled when he saw who he was looking for, a man with short blond hair and a pensive look on his face, one Mr. Cedric Lyons. He walked up to him, making sure to lose Theo in the crowd before placing a hand on Cedric's arm. 

"Hey.“ 

Cedric turned around and grinned at him at the touch of his hand. "Hey there Harlan! What brings you here? Come to check out the glorious view of the Overseer, Lord of the Vault?“

Harlan chuckled and shook his head. "Cedric, you know as well as I do we've all been summoned. If I wanted a 'glorious view', I'd just turn into Theo and kiss his ass day in and day out.“

The man laughed before clearing his throat and giving Harlan a more serious look. "Ten bucks says he's going to start dismissing anyone who hasn't given him trouble. Whatever we're gonna get asked to do, it's not going to be fun, and he isn't going to want to send anyone he likes...“

He nodded at the supposition as Jacoren stood up and the crowd fell silent. 

"Hello to all of you, A.C.E members! The group is bigger than I recall...“ he studied the veritable mob that was going out the door, "...however, I shall proceed anyway. I have bad news. The water chip has broken, and we do not have a replacement. We cannot fabricate a new one, as the process is too involved and we lack the resources...“

The crowd began to murmer in worried tones. The water chip, broken? How were they going to have fresh water to drink? Were they going to make it? Harlan looked at Cedric, whose face was visibly paler. He bumped his shoulder with his own and smiled reassuringly at him. Though this was a serious problem, the last thing anyone needed right now was to be panicking. He didn't actually know that their water purifier depended so heavily on one small component, however. It seemed awfully inefficient, but then again, it was Vault-Tec who'd made it. Their technology often left something to be desired. 

Jacoren continued. "We will have to send someone out to get the chip.“ At this point, the room was filled with a silence that hung like a heavy steam. The idea of going out into the wasteland above was not appealing to many people. Even Harlan, who had founded a small group of individuals who were very interested in the idea of leaving the Vault, had his own doubts and fears about what things were like topside. Were there people up there? There had to be. He chewed his lip in thought as he looked around the crowd to study the atmosphere. 

Suddenly, a voice piped up. "Overseer Jacoren, _I_ have an idea...“

Harlan gritted his teeth. Theo. He was almost certain that Theo was a lackey of Jacoren's, given his kiss-ass tone and willingness to suggest something so readily. He just wished he had more evidence. He sighed, and braced himself for how this exchange was to go.

"Yes, Theodore? I'm listening.“

Theo smiled and walked closer to the Overseer console. "We all know of the small, but vocal minority here that does nothing but talk about leaving the Vault, Overseer Jacoren. What about them? They're mostly all in the A.C.E program anyway, and it'd give you a smaller, _willing_ pool of participants to go retrieve the Chip.“

Jacoren ran a hand through the scruff on his chin, considering. "I take it you're referring to the group known collectively as the Vault Dwellers for Topside Exploration, Theodore? That's a good idea, why didn't I think of that myself?“ 

Cedric groaned, rubbing his eyes and dragging his hand down his face. Harlan looked over at a woman named Natalia Dubrovhsky, who stood nearby in the crowd. She had been one of the co-founders of the V.D.T.E, and one of his closest friends. She looked antagonized, and if there weren't laws in the way of her, Harlan suspected she might have long since killed Theo. She was a fine woman, to be sure, but Natalia had always had troubles understanding the law (or caring, which was far more likely, considering how intelligent she was). She was curious about what things were like outside of the Vault, however, and agreed to help Harlan rally others to the idea of leaving. She did not look at him, though he was sure she knew he was looking at her. Natalia's gaze was fixed on the Overseer, watching his face as he mulled over the possibility of reducing the pool of candidates to a more manageable size.

This, Harlan knew, was a good opportunity to weed out troublemakers in the Vault. Send one sor a few of them out to go find the Water Chip, and suddenly there's a weaker force to deal with. He sighed and looked around again to gauge the atmosphere of the room. It was heavy with anticipation, and a few nervous-looking Vault Dwellers exchanged glances. 

The Overseer spoke at last. „I think that is a good idea. Everyone not in the V.D.T.E, please return to your stations and go about your day as normal. I will speak with the members, and someone capable will be selected for the honor of finding our new Water Chip.“

The crowd murmured, dispersing as the members associated with the V.D.T.E stood still, looking at each other. They slowly clumped together, and Harlan took a count of who stood. They numbered at thirty; thirty-one if you counted Theo. He watched Jacoren tap at one of the screens on his console, bringing up what looked like a roster of names. He chewed his lip nervously as his thoughts were confirmed by the Overseer calling out their names, presumably to make sure none of them had tried to sneak out.

"Harlan Oppenheimer,“ he called out, looking down to see Harlan wave in affirmation. "A 'here' will suffice, Oppenheimer.“

He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Here.“

"That's more like it. Now... Natalia Dubrovhsky. Pyotr Dubrovsky. Cedric Lyons. Eric Moore. Amalia Moore. Elliot Williams? Ah, there you are...“ He called off their names, nodding at each "here“ or "present“. Harlan noticed that he even included Theo; however, it seemed his addition was an afterthought. He smiled slightly at this observation. 

"Now... there is the matter of the Water Chip.“

Natalia and her brother, Pyotr, looked at one another. Pyotr was an interesting fellow, Harlan thought. He had similar issues with things like personal property laws, but unlike his sister he studied those laws intensely. Instead of being a sneak like her, he knew the laws and how to use them to his advantage. So long as he didn't encourage Natalia to do anything questionable, and he was honest about his methods, Harlan allowed him to stay in the group, keeping an eye on him.

The two of them looked as though they were communicating, without so much as a word or a quirk of the eyebrow. How they did it was anyone's guess, but Harlan figured they were wondering where a Chip- or parts for one- could be acquired. He found himself wondering the same thing, until Eric piped up.

"Yes, we all know about the Chip, but who's gettin it?“ he said, in a tone of impatience, youth, and eagerness. It made Harlan smile at him. Eric was young, only 19 years old, and was the youngest member of the V.D.T.E. He was a man full of vigor, and Harlan couldn't help feeling a little pride in him. After all, Harlan was the one that held everyone together, and they were like a family, with him as the patriarch. Somewhere deep inside of himself, he hoped he'd be staying.

The Overseer looked them all over, stepping down from his console so that he was at the same level as everyone else. He was a little short, however, but his status and age made him a more formidible man than he might otherwise have been were he younger, and had a different job. He walked around the group, looking at everyone, squinting especially hard at Harlan. 

"We're all fit to go, in all likelihood,“ mused one of the members. Harlan looked over to see that it was a young woman, a recently-added member named Luisa Fernandez. He didn't really know what to make of her, since she was so new, but her observation was true. Since these were most of the members of the Topside Exploration group that were also in the A.C.E program (some had, Harlan noted, managed to sneak out with everyone else), they met the Vault requirements for "healthy“. 

Jacoren looked at Harlan again and spoke. "You're the leader of this group. Who do you think should go forth to get us our Chip, Mr. Oppenheimer?“

He swallowed loudly and looked around, nervously. Despite his eagerness to start life outside the Vault, the idea was that they'd all go as a group, defending and supporting each other in whatever lay beyond the blast doors of their home. Sending one person would be tantamount to sending them to their deaths. His mouth felt dry and he glanced at Cedric, who looked at him a little with uncertainty, knowing that the two of them were thinking the same thing. It was then that Natalia spoke up.

"Sir, I suggest since all of us are just as suited as the other...that we draw straws. Leave it to chance.“ She looked around the group, watching them nod their heads in approval. She looked at Harlan last. "Does this sound like a good idea, Harlan?“

He chewed his lip before nodding. "Sounds like a fine idea, Natalia. I think anyone who wants to volunteer to get the chip should get to draw the straws, so that no one who doesn't want to go draws the short one.“

She nodded and looked around. "Well, you heard him! Anyone who doesn't want to be a part of this, back out now or keep your peace.“

A few people moved to the edge of the group, mostly the younger or older members of the group. Harlan smiled at them, his smile fading when he noticed Theo in the back. _Coward._ Despite his own feelings about going to the surface, he'd almost expected him to offer himself up. What had he been thinking? No agent of the Overseer would take the chance of leaving the Vault if he was to spy on them.

He gritted his teeth and nodded at the remaining ten who had crowded around him, Cedric, and Natalia. He looked at the Overseer, who grunted in approval and went to his desk to retrieve some straws. _Genuine straws._ Why did Overseer Jacoren just have _straws_ in his desk? Everyone watched as he drew thirteen straws, cutting one of them and throwing the other half in the wastebasket. Finally, Jacoren stood up, walked over to the group, and held them out expectantly. 

Harlan stared at the cluster of straws, his heart in his throat. No one was reaching out yet, the gaze of all thirteen people fixed on what their Overseer held in his hand. He heard a sigh, and watched as Eric reached out and took one of the straws. It was a regular one, prompting a dismayed expression. Luisa patted his shoulder, smiling at him. 

"Maybe it's better that you stay, Eric,“ she said. He nodded and backed out of the group, staring at the straw in his hand. Pyotr was next, drawing a normal straw as well, as did the next four who drew. It was getting close. Anyone who drew had a higher and higher chance of getting the short one, and Harlan could feel the tension in the room rise. 

Finally, with just a few straws left, and it was him, Natalia, Cedric, and two others; he reached out his hand at the same time as Cedric. The two of them touched the same straw, staring at each other, each waiting for the other to move. Not breaking eye contact, Harlan pushed his hand away and took the straw, pulling it from the cluster. He knew which one it was without even looking. He had drawn the cut one. He sighed and looked at it, feeling the gaze of everyone upon him. 

Overseer Jacoren spoke up. "Then it is settled. Mr. Oppenheimer, do you accept the duty placed upon you, to retrieve the Water Chip for our Vault?“

There was, of course, the option to say no, but then again, it wasn't really an option, now was it? Harlan looked at him and nodded.

"I accept, Overseer Jacoren. I would be honored to fufill my duty to Vault 13.“


	2. I'll Be Seeing You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Harlan says his goodbyes, and the door is opened to a world no one in his home has seen for 84 years.

_"I'll be seeing you, in all the old, familiar places... that this heart of mine embraces, all day through..."_

The song was playing in his room when Harlan returned from his briefing. He took off his Vault Suit, folding it on the table by his bed. He hummed along as he walked into the bathroom, knowing every word to this song. He wasn't sure how many times he'd heard it, but he got the feeling he'd probably sang it perfectly in a few of his dreams. 

_"In that small café, the park, across the way... the children's carousel, the chestnut tree, the wishing well..."_

Harlan was so immersed in the mere act of washing his face, that he didn't notice that someone had entered his room as he'd began to sing with the song, and joined him in singing. He hung the washcloth on the little hanger by the sink and dried off his face. He stopped when he realized that the male voice singing to Billie Holiday was still singing. He frowned, stuck his head out the door, and then smiled at who it was. 

"It's bad manners to barge in on someone's residence, Lyons.“ He stepped out of the bathroom and walked over to him. 

"It's poor planning to leave your door unlocked like that, Oppenheimer,“ said Cedric, smirking, "and furthermore, I figured you'd know it was me.“

He grinned wider and pulled him close, cupping his face. Cedric leaned in and kissed him softly. Harlan felt a small twinge of sadness, but smiled anyway and held him there, wrapping an arm around Cedric's waist. 

"So, going out into the wide world up there, huh?“ Cedric said when he pulled away, smiling sadly at Harlan. 

"Yes, and it's a good thing I pulled that straw- there's no way I'd have let you go,“ he smirked at him, „You're too soft, you'd be mutant food.“

"Mutant food? Why, I never-“

"Shut up and kiss me again, you fool.“ He leaned in again and Cedric obliged him, pressing his lips to Harlan's. He wished he could just stay there, like that. Freeze the moment in time, as it were. There was no freezing it, however, and standing there in a kiss would get a little odd if it went on for too long. Harlan pulled away and leaned his forehead against Cedric's, closing his eyes. 

"...you're scared, aren't you?“ 

He sighed before answering. "...yes.“ 

Harlan had no idea what lay outside, and after the briefing from the Overseer, he was still trying to steel himself for what he would face. Jacoren didn't know much beyond the fact that there were enormous rats living just outside the Vault doors, and that Harlan would have a lot of them coming after him. 

"Harlan...you're strong. You're smart. You're charismatic. You'll make it just fine... everyone believes in you. You will return, and we'll have the chip...“ Cedric trailed off. Harlan looked him in the eyes and nodded. 

"I'll be coming back. For you, and the Vault, and the VDTE...“ he murmured, "...you know he's going to start trying to pick apart the group. After I leave tomorrow, he isn't going to want the group to grow, and I won't be in his way.“

Cedric pulled away from Harlan and smiled at him reassuringly. "Harlan, you know Natalia and I won't let him do that. We'll be recruiting like the Overseer has never seen, it'll be great. Besides, I think after you come back, people are going to realize life outside the Vault is possible. If you could survive, then we could as well.“

"God willing. The condition is that I need to get _back._ “ Harlan walked over to his bed and laid on it face down, sighing into a pillow. He heard Cedric laugh at him, and did not lift his head from the pillow when he was shaken by the shoulders. 

"Harlan, it'll be fine. We'll manage without you, and you know Natalia won't do anything... questionable. She's got too much love for you, and too much fear from Theresa, to do that.“

He laughed and tugged Cedric down to lie with him, twining his arms around him. "Yeah, yeah, you're right. It's just a lot to think about. I'm leaving tomorrow, and we don't have a lot of supplies left, so all I've been given is in that bag over there,“ he gestured to a bag in the corner of the room, "...a pistol, a few rounds, a knife, a flare, some tools and a few canteens. I think that's all the Vault can spare. God willing, there's a nearby settlement that's closer than Vault 15.“

Cedric nodded, pressing his lips to Harlan's cheek. "You'll make it, I know you will.“

*******************

The walk to Jacoren's office was almost surreal; Harlan knew that after this, there was no going back. Well, the real "point of no return“ was the moment when the blast door shut behind him, but this walk felt far more final. There was more time to think, more time for second thoughts as he walked to the very same place where, last night, he had offered up his life in service of the Vault.

Cedric had work in the infirmary starting early that day, but his parting words for Harlan stuck with him. _I'll be seeing you now, when this is over, you hear? I love you. I know you'll come back safely, and this will all be over._ He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to focus instead on the steel of the gun holstered to his hip, or the way the small flare in his bag clanked against the canteen. The last thing he needed was for his emotions to come into his mind; the idea of showing Jacoren that he was afraid of leaving the Vault was unacceptable for Harlan. 

_I drew the straw- I don't get to be afraid,_ he thought angrily, _...let it never be said that an Oppenheimer didn't face the possibility of death without a clear conscience._

Harlan was fairly certain that phrase had come from his grandfather, when he described what the war was like, and the story of their coming into Vault 13. It had been said in relation to his family's long involvement in wars; something about civilian support for troops, or in the case of old Grandpa Norman, hundreds of nukes aimed straight at the United States. Looking at things, Harlan wondered what his grandparents would say if they could see their grandson walking out into the same world they left behind. He supposed his grandmother wouldn't have wanted to go out, but perhaps Norman would have wanted to see it all, just one last time...

Harlan groaned when he reached the door to the Office of the Overseer. The idea that the Overseer was going to be one of the last men in Vault 13 to see him was not appealing in the slightest, but he guessed that was just how it had to be. Not bothering to knock, he opened the door and prepared himself for any potentially horrifying sight might reach his eyes.

Jacoren sat at his console, writing something down and looking up at a screen periodically. _Disappointing. I was hoping for something more... damning._ Harlan cleared his throat to announce his presence. The Overseer looked up, his expression somewhere between a mock-smile and concentration on whatever it was he'd been doing. _Probably plotting suitable punishments for people he doesn't like, now that I'm about to be out of the picture,_ Harlan thought, doing his best not to laugh. 

"Do I take this to mean you're ready to leave the Vault, Mr. Oppenheimer?“ he asked, raising an eyebrow as he locked the screen he'd been looking at. 

"All ready,“ Harlan said as he adjusted his bag, "Now would you kindly show me the door so you can kick me out?“

"Yes, follow me.“ 

Jacoren reached into the drawer of his console, taking out a small piece of paper and stuffing it into his pocket before hopping down and walking past Harlan, down the hall and to the elevator. Harlan peeked at some of the other workers at their stations, typing away at the computers. One of them, an old woman, waved at him. He waved back, smiling.

Most of the people in the Vault, he thought as he boarded the elevator, weren't too keen on one of their own leaving the old 13. Harlan wondered what they'd suggest in place of sending someone out, but it didn't matter at this point. The note in his Pip-Boy told him there were 150 days before Vault 13 would run out of clean water. It seemed like too short a time. What if he didn't make it in time? The entire Vault was depending on him. 

He was shaken from his thoughts by a hand at his shoulder. Harlan looked over to see Jacoren giving him a sympathetic look. 

"Harlan. I know you're afraid of going out. Anyone would be. I know we've had our differences, and we will continue to have those differences. I know you hate me, and you'll probably continue hating me, out there in the wasteland and after you return with the chip...“ he sighed. "I want you to know that I believe in you. Out of all the people drawing straws, I think you're the most capable.“

"...you sure you're not saying that so that I don't feel so bad about leaving into an irradiated wasteland? Or just because I lead a group opposing most of the things you stand for?“ Harlan asked dryly.

Jacoren scoffed. "No. You know what you're getting into, there's no sugar coating that. Though your leaving helps my cause, I ultimately care about Vault 13, and I know you do, as well. You are best suited for the task. What you do will benefit everyone.“

"Can't have a rebel faction or a megalomaniacal Overseer without water, huh?“ Harlan chuckled a little at his morbid joke while Jacoren gave him a flat expression. He cleared his throat. "Though, thanks. I guess. For what it's worth.“

The Overseer nodded and gestured for Harlan to walk out of the elevator ahead of him. The two of them strode silently to the door. This door was always locked, only opened for occasional maintenance by approved technicians of the electronic- and manual- controls for the blast door. Jacoren entered the passcode into the interface by the door, and it slid open. 

Harlan had never actually seen the blast door, though he hadn't really put much thought into what it must look like. Walking into the room, he noted that it wasn't particularly remarkable by any means other than its sheer mass. Solid, made completely of steel and concrete. He recalled his grandfather telling him a particularly grand story, of when they first entered the Vault. 

_"...and as we made it to the caverns, there was this incredible flash. And I looked back. I shouldn't have, but I did- and it burned, I swear, it burned right into my eyes, because even when I shut them, that cloud was all I could see. The caves heated up noticably, and when we'd gotten inside, Pearl's dress pattern had been burned into her back...“_

Harlan stood there, staring, imagining what it must have been like to enter that door, when a quiet cough took him back to the reality of leaving the steel monolith behind. He sighed and turned back to Jacoren. 

"Guess this is goodb-“ he wasn't allowed to finish his sentence, for he suddenly heard loud footfalls- someone was running. 

"HARLAN!“

Jacoren whirled about, looking behind him, only to be shoved out of the way by none other than Natalia Dubrovhsky, holding an old leather backpack and jacket, looking like she had just rolled out of bed. Harlan smiled at her, raising an eyebrow. _This is has **got** to be good._

"Harlan-“ she leant over on the wall to catch her breath, pausing before continuing to speak."I got here as fast as I could, thank God-“

"What's this all about?!“ sputtered the Overseer as he regained balance. Natalia smirked before looking back at Harlan and handing him the bag that she held.

"Here. You're leaving the Vault, so take this. It's got a little bit of everything we pooled together- my tools, Luisa's survivor's guide, Eric's- you get it. And something... extra,“ she added. 

"I... thank you, Natalia,“ Harlan said as he knelt down to stuff his bag into the one that Natalia gave him. He studied the leather jacket, noting the dark brown leather was smooth, shiny, but clearly very old. Inside, underneath the left pocket, a name was embroidered. _William Sterling._

"That belonged to Elliot's grandfather.“

He nodded and straightened up, shouldering the bag. "I see. And the extra thing...?“ 

"In an envelope. My, uh. Parting gift.“ Natalia looked away from him. "Family heirloom of sorts. Plus extra from all of us. And a letter. We're going to miss you.“

Harlan felt a sharp pain in his chest at her words. This wasn't making the parting any easier, and it was starting to become painfully obvious that Cedric's optimism regarding his imminent departure was feigned. Everyone was frightened, so everyone had pitched in to give Harlan what they could to help him succeed. He strode towards Natalia and pulled her into a tight embrace, ignoring the sigh he heard coming from behind him.

"You know I'll come back.“

She hugged him back, laughing softly. "With my help? Of course you will. Please say you'll get back as soon as you can, I can't hold down the place for 150 days.“

"Come on, you've got Cedric.“

"My statement holds.“ Natalia tightened her hold, sighing. 

Jacoren cleared his throat and walked over to the control panel by the blast door. He began to tap at the keys, prompting Harlan to let go of Natalia. He backed away, looking at her sadly, before walking over next to Jacoren. 

"You're going to want to stand back a little, Oppenheimer.“

He obliged and took a few steps back as alarms began to blare, the red lights casting grim shadows on their faces. He felt his stomach churn, the dread rising within himself. _This is it._

The door finally came to a halt, and Harlan was greeted with the dark of the cavern in front of him, periodically lit red. Were those bones he saw peeking just beyond the threshold? He shook his head and took a single step forward.

"Harlan.“ 

He turned to face Natalia one last time, looking at her inquisitively, watching her face contort with thought before she spoke again.

"I- never mind.“ she frowned and looked down. "Be safe. Come back.“

Harlan smiled, held up a hand, and shook his head. "It's alright, I will. Goodbye, Natalia.“

"Goodbye, Harlan.“

He turned around again, nodded to Jacoren, and strode towards the caverns. This was going to be one hell of a walk. 

"Good luck, Oppenheimer. We're all counting on you.“


End file.
